New Delhi, June 3: The Union Minister of Health has approved the procurement of 300,000,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses of Biological-E. This will be the third vaccine to be produced in India. It has been developed by Biological-E, a biopharmaceutical company based in Hyderabad. The vaccine is a RBD (receptor binding domain- it is a short immunogenic fragment from a virus that binds to a specific receptor) protein sub unit vaccine. It consists of the protein antigen (any substance that induces the immune system to produce antibodies) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with adjuvants a substance that enhances the body’s immune response to an antigen) which stimulates an immune response in cells. It is developed in association with Baylor College of Medicine in USA. The phase one and two clinical trials have shown promising results, and currently phase three clinical trials have started.
The National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) has examined and recommended the approval of Biological-E vaccine.
Supported by government all through, this is considered as an effort to promote the indigenous production of vaccine in India. The doses will be supplied between August and December this year.
With news inputs from Alka Singh
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